Bulk cement conveyance



Dec. 3, 1946.

J. R; BRADSHAW BULK CEMENT CONVEYANCE Filed July 30, 1945 JzforrgPatented Dec. 3, 1946 John a. Bradshaw, Duncan, th., animal aBalliburton Oil Well. cementing Company,

Duncan, Okla.

Application-July so, 1945, Serial No. 601,191

Thiinvention relates to automotive conveyances and more particularly toan arrangement for transporting Portland cement in bulk from one placeto another, such as from a bulk storage plant to the site of an oilwell.

Until a few years ago, oil wells were commonly cemented by conveyingPortland cement to the well in sacks. At the well a number of men wereemployed to open the sacks and dump the cement into a mixer where aslurry was made and pumped into the well. Recently, bulk cementconveyances have come into use, the cement 'being taken to the well andfed into the mixer by means of screw conveyors located in the lowerportion of the conveyance. In many cases, oil wells are located interritory where the roads are not good or in fields some distance from acentral bulk cement plant, or on rough ground. As a result, Portlandcement conveyed in bulk has a tendency to pack and settle. Fromexperience it has been found that screw conveyors located in the bottomof a bulk cement conveyance cannot be rotated when the conveyancearrives at its destination because of the packing of the cement aroundthem.

In accordance with the present invention it is proposed to equip a bulkcement conveyance having one or more discharge screws in the bottomthereof with means for preventing the packing of the cement around thescrews while the cement is being transported, the protective means beingso disposed as to permit it to be lifted to uncover the screws afterthey have started to rotate to discharge the cement from the conveyance.

Accordingly, it is an-object of the invention to provide a bulk cementconveyance in which screw conveyors are employed to discharge the cementinto a mixer or hopper with a minimum 01 inconvenience and with aminimum of power required to rotate the screw conveyors.

conveyors, the construction being in accordance with the principles ofthe present invention; Figure 2 is a transverse cross-sectional view ofthe container shown in Figure 1, the view being taken on the line 2-4thereof; I

. Figure 3 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of one of the screwconveyors of Figure 2, with the protective means mounted thereabove;

Figure 4 is a perspective view of one of the protective plates shown inFigure 3; and

'Figure 5 is a cross-sectional view across the braces supportingtheprotective means, the view It is a further object of the invention toprobeing taken on the line 5-5 of Figure 3.

Referring to the drawing in detail, it will be seen that the frame oi anautomotive trailer is rubber tired wheels l2. Mounted upon this traileris a, container l3, preferably of welded steel construction and providedwith one or more manholes I through-which the container It may be loadedwith cement. The manholes may be provided with suitable covers l5.

As shown in the drawing, two screw conveyors l6 are mounted in thebottom of the container 13. These preferably extend longitudinally ofthe trailer body and terminate in a discharge spout or chute I! at therear of the trailer. A gasoline engine l8, or the like, is employed torotate the screws It, being connected thereto through suitable chainsprockets i9 or other driving means.

As shown in Figures 2 and 3, the lower portion of the container i3 isprovided with bame plates or guiding means 2! which form troughs in thebottom of which thescrews it are located. In accordance with the presentinvention a number of inverted V-shaped braces 22'are riveted orotherwise rigidly secured to the baflie plates 2| at spaced pointslongitudinally along the screw conveyors l6. These serve to brace thebaiiie plates 21 and also serve to guide and support protective plates23 which are placed thereon.

As shown in Figure 1, five pairs of protective plates 23 are provided.When the container i3 is being loaded with cement and while the cementis being transported the plates 23 rest upon the braces 22 in theposition shown in Figure 3, and form a roof over the screw conveyors it,thus preventing the cement from packing around the screw conveyors.

As shown at 20 in Figure 1, a transversely extending partition may beprovided in the container l3. This divides the container intocompartments so that cements of different kinds may be conveyed. Forexample the compartment to 3 the right ofthe partition 23 may be loadedwith cement containing 8% bentonite, while the compartment to the leftof the partition may be loaded with ordinary Portland cement. By raisingthe sets of plates 23 selectively, the various cements may be dischargedinto the screws l8 and chute I! as desired.

When the conveyance has reached its destination and it is desired todischarge the container i3, the engine It is started and the screwconveyors It rotated. The plates 23 are then raised to the positionshown at the right hand side of Figure 2, so as to uncover the screws l6and permit the cement t move downwardly. into the screw conveyors It.Any suitable means, either mechanical or hydraulic, may be employed toraise the protective plates 23. In the arrangement shown, a jack isemployed, the screw 24 or which is connected to the plates 23 throughsuitable linkage 25. The jack includes a hand operated nut 26 swivelledupon a base member 21 mounted on the top 28 of the container l3. Asshown in Figures 4 and 5, loose fitting brackets 29 are secured tothe'plates 23 to guide the plates over the angled braces 22.

With the arrangement just described, it will be apparent that provisionhas been made for preventing cement from packing around the screws scopeof the annexed claim.

while the conveyance is being moved long distances or over rough roads,but in which the cement may readily be discharged from the containerwhen so desired.

While only one embodiment of the invention has been shown and describedherein, it is obvious that various changes'may be made without departingfrom the spirit of the invention or the I claim:

In an automotive conveyance to; cement in 1 bulk, a container having apartition therein dividing the same into compartments, screw conveyorsmountedior rotation in the bottom oi said container for dischargingcement therefrom, baille plates forming troughs for directing the cementinto said screw conveyors, angled braces disposed above said screwconveyors 'at spaced points'therealong and connected to said baii'ieplates, protective plates mounted in pairs for sliding movement onsaidangled braces and adapted to form roofs over said screw conveyors,and jacks mounted on the top of said container permit cement from eitherof said compartments to flow into said screw conveyors as desired.

JOHN R. BRADSHAW.

